From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Comparison of the reliability of electrical equipment, specifically the Marmon, Smith, and Lucas generators and cut-outs.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 182\M16\ img027 | |
| Date | 7th June 1921 | |
| Contd. in a very short time because of the accessibility of this unit. The Generator on the Marmon car is quite satisfactory and silent. We have tried the battery ignition with various adjustments on the contact breaker and find that there is a very wide range of adjustment without any misfiring. We have never once had to touch the contact breaker points. The ignition fires quite satisfactorily even on 4 volts. From our experience we are bound to admit that the reliability of the electrical equipment on the Marmon car is better than the equipment we are at present fitting to our own car and if present conditions stand, are likely to for the next 12 or 18 months. The Smith Generator and cut-out has proved itself to be infinitely more efficient and more reliable than the Lucas. The Smith Generator is going to be much more expensive than the Lucas. The cut-out is going to be more expensive and the switch will be more expensive. The point we wish to bring to everybody's notice is that owing to the sudden reduction in out-put, many essential improvements are going to be considerably delayed unless we scrap and cancel the present parts. We think that it is quite wrong to continue to send out cars which we know have definite faults. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||